Hot air balloon lands at Oregon women's prison

WILSONVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Inmates were sent indoors when a hot air balloon landed in the parking lot of an Oregon women's prison, but it wasn't an escape attempt.

The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/m6VYcw ) that the pilot told officials at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility that he was taking part in a balloon festival Thursday morning but was running low on fuel and battling strong winds.

Prison spokeswoman Vicki Reynolds says the pilot decided the parking lot of the facility south of Portland was the safest place to land. No one was hurt.

Reynolds says inmates who were in the recreation yard were sent inside for about a half hour while the balloon was removed.

She says the parking lot is far enough from the main prison that officials "felt confident in assuming this wasn't an inmate escape attempt."